The Rabun Gap-Nacoochee Eagles will host the Charlotte Christian Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Rabun Gap-Nacoochee's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last ten matchups.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They blew past Christ School, posting a 64-7 victory. That looming 64-7 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Eagles yet this season.
It was another big night for Jordan Lindo, who rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown, and also picked up 69 receiving yards and one TD. His longest rush was for an incredible 87 yards. Walker Bryson got in on the action too, returning a kick for a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Rabun Gap-Nacoochee was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 225 rushing yards. They are a perfect 5-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Rabun Gap-Nacoochee, adding 14 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Bryson, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter and that's exactly how it played out for Charlotte Christian on Friday. They never let Charlotte Country Day School get on the board and left with a 36-0 win. The Knights pushed the score to 33-0 by the end of the third, a deficit the Buccaneers had no chance of recovering from.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee better keep an eye on Jamal Rule. He was instrumental in Charlotte Christian's win, rushing for 75 yards and three scores, while also picking up 38 receiving yards. They are 4-1 when Rule posts two or more rushing touchdowns, but 2-4 otherwise.
Charlotte Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Vincent Rosen and Jack Gullickson.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-4. The home wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 12.3 points on average over those games. As for Charlotte Christian, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
The upcoming contest will be a clash of competing strengths. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee has relied on air attacks this season and has averaged 277 passing yards per game. Charlotte Christian, on the other hand, has relied on a stout run game: they average 159.3 rushing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee was able to grind out a solid victory over Charlotte Christian in their previous meeting back in October, winning 41-28. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Knights' Tate Estep, who picked up 139 receiving yards and one touchdown. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Eagles still be able to contain Estep? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
